Internal combustion engine



April 13, 1943. E. A. LATTA INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed June'-ll, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet l \A K a M mu m N. QUE w N 5 /m& M m

Ap 1943- I E. A. LAiTTA 2,316,697

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed June 11, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 7 'YA/l/E Mroa:

EI/EEETT 4 LAW-A,

Patented Apr. 13, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2, 16,697 INTERNAL coMBUsTIoN ENGINE Everett a. Line, Clayton, Mo. Application June 11, 1942, Serial No..446,572

3 Claims.

This invention relates to internal combustion engines; and has special reference to devices for conducting liquid fuel to the combustion chambers and atomizing the liquid fuel and thoroughly mixing the atomized fuel with incoming air, preform combustion chambers and having intake and exhaust ports communicating with the respective cylinders only for the admission of air and atomized liquid fuel into said chambers and for the exhaust of the burnt gases from said chambers; to'provide walls in the cylinder head between the respective ports separating each combustion chamber; and to provide tubes detachably connected with the cylinder head for con ducting liquid fuel under pressure from a source of supply such as a pump and injecting said liquid fuel'into atomizers and then into the combustion chambers of the engine for combustion, thereby dispensing with the use of carburetors and. the like.

Another object of the invention is to provide improved means for atomizing liquid fuel and injecting the atomized fuel into the combustion chambers of an internal combustion engine during intake stroke, and to provide separate exhaust ports wholly out of communication with said atcmizing and injecting means for exhausting the burnt gases from the cylinders.

Another object of the invention is to provide improved means for atomizing liquid fuel and injecting the atomized fuel into the combustion chambers during the intake strokes, and for thoroughly mixing the atomized fuel with themcoming air, thereby permitting the use of liquid fuels heavier than gasoline.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being made to the annexed drawings, in which- Fig. 11s a vertical cross-sectional view of a portion of an internal combustion engine embodying the present invention, and showing particularly the liquid fuel supply, the air intake, and the liquid fuel atomizer opening into th combustion chamber, the air intake valve being closed, and the piston being at the end of its up-stroke.

Fig. 2 is a similar sectional view showing the air intake valve open and the piston about the middle of the down-stroke, the arrows above and 5-5 of Fig. 1.

below the intake valve indicating the flow of fresh air, and the arrows in the combustion chamber and cylinder showing the cyclonic flow of atomized liquid fuel and air.

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the exhaust valve open and the piston moving toward and near the end of its up-stroke, the arrows indicating the flow of the burnt gases from the cylinder.

Fig. 4 -is asectional view on the line 44 of Fig. 1, showing an inverted plan view of a portion of the cylinder head having the non-communicating intake and exhaust ports opening, respectively, into and from one combustion chamber of the cylinder;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view on the line Fig. 6 is a sectional view of the cylinder head. on the line 6--6 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view of the cylinder head on the line l! of Fig. 4.

Fig. 8 isan enlarged sectional view showing a modification of one feature of the invention.

The body of the engine for which the present invention is provided is a casting containing any desired number of cylinders I each of which encloses a working piston 2. ciprocate in the cylinders l on up and down strokes, one of said pistons being shown at the end of its up-stroke in Figs. 1 and 3 and in an intermediate position of its down-stroke in Fig. 2. The respective pistons are connected withthe driven crank shaft of the engine by pitman rods 3, as is well known. The body I of the engine is formed with an air intake port 4 to each cylinder, and said ports are controlled by valves 5 movable from closed position (Fig. 1) to open position (Fig. 2) and vice versa. The'valve stems 6 are operated to open the valves 5 by a cam shaft (not shown), and to close said valves by springs I, in the usual manner. The engine body I is also formed with exhaust'ports 8 for exhausting from 3). The valve stems l0 areoperated to open the valves 9 by a cam shaft (not shown) and to close said valves by springs I l, in the-usual manner.

The cylinder head I2 is a unitary or one-piece The pistons 2 recasting or forging extending the full length of the cylinder body. It covers all of the cylinders l and also covers all intake valves 5 and all exhaust valves 9. .The cylinder head is detachablysecured to the engine body by bolt and nut fasteners l3, a leak-proof joint being obtained by a the inlet 'port 4 and of suilicient area topermit free movement of the valve 5 during opening and closing movements of said valve. A Venturi tube 18 is rigidly mounted in an opening in. the wall spaces or chambers have communication with the respective combustion chambers 2| only through the Venturi tubes |8.. An injector nozzle 2| has its flared discharge end 22 within and coaxial with the Venturi tube l8. Theeflluent end of the nozzle 2| is a short distance beyond the influent side of the restriction 22 of the Venturi tube (Fig. 4). The nozzle 2| is provided with an enlarged externally threaded formation 24 screwed into a threaded hole 25 in the cylinder head l2. The head formation 24 is provided with slots 26 for engagement by a screw-driver to attach and detach the nozzle 2| rlgidlyin a position in which it is in axial alinement with or in axial continuation of the Venturi tube II.

A liquid fuel conduit or supply tube 21 is in permanent communication with each cylinder I through the hole 25, nozzle 2| and Venturi tube l8. The tubes 21 are detachably held in connection with the cylinder head I2 by. nipples 22 swiveled on the ends of said tubes 21 and screwed into the outer ends of the holes 25. The nipples 28 may be detached for any needed purpose. The tubes 21 conduct liquid fuel under pressure for discharge through the nozzlm 2! for atomization in the Venturi tube IS. The atomized liquid fuel will be drawn into the combustion chambers 20 automatically and as an incident by downward movement of the pistons 2 along with fresh air admitted through the intake ports 4 to carry and sustain the atomized liquid fuel.

It will be understood that liquid fuel is discharged from the respective tubes 21 intermittently and only while the inletvalves 5 are open (Fig. 2) and while the exhaust valves are closed; which is to say, during the down-strokes, or what is commonly called the intake stroke, of the pistons 2. During up-strokes of the respective pistons 2 when atomized liquid fuel is contained in the combustion chambers 20, both valves and 9 are closed in order to obtain compression. Whenthe pistons 2 reach the ends of their up or compression strokes, the spark plugs 20 are energized under control of the timer (not shown), as usual, to effect explosivecombustion of the compressed atomized liquid fuel, and thereby imq pel the pistons-2 downwardly.

On the next up-stroke of each piston 2, the burnt'gasesare exhausted from the cylinder I through the exhaust port 8, the exhaust valve 9 being opened by the cam shaft in the usual manner to permit suchexhaust of' the burnt gases. During exhaust of the burnt gases from the respective cylinders, the intake valves 5 are closed. Also, during exhaust of the burnt gases from the respectivecylinders, no liquid fuel is discharged into the cylinders from which burnt 5 gases are being exhausted, discharge of the liquid fuel under pressure through the tubes 21 being automatically controlled by the pressure pump (not shown). The wall l9 extends continuously between and separates each valve space or compartment H from the corresponding exhaust passage 20 formed in the cylinder head I2 from the combustion chamber 20 to the exhaust port I8. Said wall IS, in cooperation with the gasket -I4 and a wallseparating the intake port 4 from the exhaust port 8, effectively prevents or closes communication between the space or compartment l1 and the exhaust passage 30.

This invention satisfactorily atomizes liquid fuel in fresh air and thoroughly mixes the atomized fuel and air. Theatomized liquid fuel is discharged under pressure into the combustion chambers 20 at the same time that fresh air is drawn into said combustion chambers through the intake ports 4 and the Venturi atomizing tubes II. The intake of atomized fuel alternates with the exhaust of the burnt gases from the cylinders I and the combustion chambers 20.

For the purpose of effecting alternate intake of atomized fuel and exhaust of the burnt gases. it 30 should be understood that the valves 5 and 8 are never open at the same time but that the opening and closing of said respective valves a1- ternate, the valve 5 being opened during the time that the valve 9 is closed, and vice versa.

The modification shown in Fig. 8 has the Venturi tube atomizer feature formed directly in the wall l9 instead of having a separate Venturi tube such as the tube l8 rigidly mounted in said wall IS. The Venturi tube 3| withits restriction 82 may be formed directly through the wall IS with the injector nozzle 2| having its flared discharge end 22 within and coaxial with said tube 3| The efliuent end of the nozzle 2| is wholly within the flaring influent end of the Venturi tube and is spaced a short distance from the restriction 22. In this modification, as in the arrangement first described, the fresh air and the injected liquid fuel contact each other before they reach the restriction of the Venturi tube. In both instances. the Venturi tube is preferably located toward one side of the combustion chamber 20 so as to effect a cyclonic movement of the atomized liquid fuel and air suggested by the arrows in Fig. 5 and thus contribute to even distribution of the atomized liquid fuel in the combustion chamber and in the cylinder and promote combustion by action of the spark plug. In either form of the invention, the atomizer device is of much less cross-sectional area than the cross- .sectional area of the exhaust passage 30.

From the foregoing, it should be apparent that this invention effectively attains all of its intended objects and purposes efficiently and satisfactorily. It dispenses with the use, of equipment such as carburetors for delivering carbureted gas into the cylinders, and thereby dispenses with the necessity of maintaining such equipment. movable and replaceable as shown, so that the fuel atomizing equipment may be kept in uniformly good condition. The specific construction and arrangement of parts shown and described may be varied within the scope of equivalent limits without departure from the nature and principle of the invention.

The atomizer nozzle 2| may be re- I claim:

1. In an internal combustion engine having a body provided with a cylinder, an air intake port, an exhaust port, and valves for opening and closing said ports alternately and intermittently; a cylinder head detachably secured to said body and having non-communicating passages opening respectively into said intake and exhaust ports and receiving said valves when said valves are opened and also having a combustion chamber opening into said cylinder and communicating with said said passage to said exhaust port, a Venturi tube opening from said passage to said intake port into said combustion chamber and having a restriction intermediate of its ends, an

atomizer nozzle extending coaxially into the influent end of said Venturi tube and terminating at the influent side of said restriction of said tube, and a tube for conducting liquid fuel under pressure to said nozzle. i

2. In an internal combustion engine having a body provided with a cylinder, an air intake port, an exhaust port, and valves for opening and closing said ports alternately and intermittently; a a

and extending coaxially into the infiuent end of said Venturi tube and having a flaring outlet at the infiuent side of said restriction of said tube, a tube for conducting liquid fuel under pressure toward said nozzle for discharge therefrom into said Venturi tube and thence in atomized form into said combustion chamber, and a device detachably securing said tube to said cylinder head in communication with said nozzle.

3. In'an internal combustion engine having a body provided with a cylinder, an air intake port, an exhaust port, and valves for opening and closing said ports alternately and intermittently; a cylinder head detachably secured to said body and having a combustion chamber above said cylinder and also having a chamber communicating with said intake port and a passage forming communication from said combustion chamber and cylinder to said exhaust port, a wall integral with said head separating said first named chamber from said combustion chamber and also hermetically separating said first named chamber from said passage, a Venturi tube opening from said first named chamber into said combustion chamber and having a restriction intermediate of its ends, an atomizer nozzle extending coaxially into the infiuent end of said Venturi tube and terminating at the influent side of said restriction of said tube, and a tube for conducting liquid fuel under pressure toward said nozzle and intermittently discharging said fuel through said nozzle into said Venturi tube for atomization and discharge into said combustion chamber.

' EVERETT A. LA'ITA. 

